are you legally married?
The IRS recognizes common-law marriages as legal marriages. A common-law marriage exists if you and your partner live together as husband and wife, but there's a fine line between a common-law marriage and just living together. A common-law marriage involves a mutual agreement that you're married, as well as holding yourself out to society as a husband and wife.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia recognize these marriages, including Alabama (if created before January 1, 2017), Colorado, Georgia (if created before January 1, 1997), Idaho (if created before January 1, 1996), Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire (for inheritance purposes only), Ohio (if created before October 10, 1991), Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (if created before January 1, 2005), Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. If you have a valid common-law marriage, you are considered married for tax purposes.
